Wednesday, November 02, 2016

FBI agents tried unsuccessfully to convince the Justice Department to investigate the Clinton Foundation earlier this year for giving donors special political access and favors.

While the Clinton Foundation said it was never contacted by the FBI regarding an investigation, New York FBI agents are keeping inquiries alive as they continue to feud with the Justice Department, accordingto the Wall Street Journal.

New details show that senior law-enforcement officials repeatedly voiced skepticism of the strength of the evidence in a bureau investigation of the Clinton Foundation, sought to condense what was at times a sprawling cross-country effort, and, according to some people familiar with the matter, told agents to limit their pursuit of the case. The probe of the foundation began more than a year ago to determine whether financial crimes or influence peddling occurred related to the charity.

Some investigators grew frustrated, viewing FBI leadership as uninterested in probing the charity, these people said. Others involved disagreed sharply, defending FBI bosses and saying [Deputy Director Andrew] McCabe in particular was caught between an increasingly acrimonious fight for control between the Justice Department and FBI agents pursuing the Clinton Foundation case.